Adrenaline
'Adrenaline '''is a Vita implant designed to assist in combat. Originally developed for military use, it is an unstable system that releases an artificial mixture of cortisol and PCP into the body proportional to the amount of blood lost from an injury, effectively making users exponentially stronger the more injuries they receive. Despite its unsafe design and potentially debilitating side effects, it is available to the general public. Details Adrenaline is a small, five-part implant that consists of nodes placed in five areas: one buried deep in each forearm, one in the back of the neck, and two in the chest, on either side of the heart. When activated upon the loss of blood, they release signals to the brain that have a similar effect to injecting stimulants. While it is advertised as improving quick thinking and action, it is mostly known to cause the user to become increasingly impulsive and violent the more blood they lose. The effect varies in length, though typically it lasts anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes unless the user faints or has a shutdown mechanism in place. Older versions of the implant, before it was removed and revamped for public use, actually stored drugs inside of the user’s body in small pods to be released as necessary. This proved to have a myriad of complications, such as the pods needing to be refilled by a doctor after every use, the system not properly regulating release levels, and on one or two occasions, the pods breaking and causing serious internal damage. The nodular model does not physically release any substances, and therefore doesn’t need refilling or the intense care and maintenance that the original did. There is a limiter for Adrenaline in progress, though the prototype is astronomically expensive. Theoretically, it should be able to limit violent and self-destructive actions when the implant is active, to keep the user and surrounding civilians safe. So far, there is very little word on whether or not the limiter actually works, however. History and Development The Adrenaline implant was first developed in the late 1980s as a Military upgrade, not to be sold to the public. The original version of it worked by injecting soldiers with steroids upon losing a significant amount of blood, but it was found to be ineffective, as natural cortisol levels in combat scenarios and other existing implants tended to drown out the effects of Adrenaline. Developers began increasing the amount of cortisol released, then lowered the amount of lost blood required to activate the system, before settling on a gradual proportional release that activated immediately on the first hit taken. This was found to be far more effective in otherwise-clean soldiers. However, many soldiers with existing implants still did not properly feel its effects, so research went into testing other drugs that could be injected to create the desired aggression. It was found that mixing combat adrenaline with a chemical compound very similar to PCP caused soldiers to act far more aggressively and shake off injuries much easier, therefore allowing them to take more damage, regardless of conflicting implants. While this was considered a success at first, within a few months, reports of out-of-control behaviour, violent rages, and friendly fire incidents caused by the implant began rolling in. Adrenaline was then discontinued, and did not reappear on the market again for nearly a decade. In 1997, Adrenaline suddenly made a surprise appearance on the Vita general consumer menu. While there were immediate protests over this, Vita clarified that the new model had been toned down significantly, and that the new version was intended to help those who had been injured escape mortal scenarios. Despite this, it was still relatively unpopular, only picking up among gangsters, covens, and assorted brawlers. As it turned out, the new model wasn’t nearly as ”safe” as it had been advertised to be, and caused dozens of deaths in its first year of release. Protests started up again, but as Vita had found a niche ready to purchase this implant, they quietly took it off the menu in larger and richer communities, opting instead to market it to poorer members of society. As of 2008, Adrenaline is available for purchase by anyone regardless of rank, though only some cities offer it. It is most popular among street punks and people whose survival depends on being able to fight. Many activist groups still protest its sale and use at all, but Vita has yet to directly address these activists. Side Effects As one of the more unstable implants available, Adrenaline has a long list of potential side effects. Not all of them have been observed in all users, but it is uncommon for users to have less than four or five of these side effects. Asterisks (*) mark very common to universal side effects. * Violent impulses while implant is inactive, at random * Other forms of poor impulse control (ex. impulsive spending) * * Trouble regulating body temperature, especially after a fight * Joint pain * * Suppressed appetite * * Vomiting * Decreased sensation in extremities * * Sensitivity to loud noises * Lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting * * Delusions * Hallucinations * Paranoia * Restlessness and insomnia * Panic attacks * Acute bouts of depression * Suicidal ideation Notable Users The following people are registered Adrenaline users who can be encountered in ''Effigy House. * Nomi St. Clair Category:Vita Implants Category:Combat Implants Category:Unstable Implants Category:Military Implants Category:Public Menu Implants